Every year, The Tucson Dog Magazine sponsors an adoption event in the Tucson area called Dogtoberfest. Rescues and other animal organizations in the area come together to help get as many dogs adopted as possible — and some other animals who definitely aren’t dogs.
Southern Arizona Reptile Rescue & Education was one of the rescues in attendance at the event, and they brought someone along to be an ambassador and greeter for their booth. While he looks a little like a monster at first glance, Citrus was one of the friendliest pets at the whole event.
“When people first see Citrus, most of them will do a double take,” Cressi Brown, founder and executive director of Southern Arizona Reptile Rescue & Education, told The Dodo. “It is unusual to see a large [3-foot] foot lizard on someone’s shoulder or walking on a leash. Citrus doesn’t mind the attention at all and soaks up the scratches and pets. He makes a wonderful ambassador, and his sweet personality helps us show people that reptiles are not only smarter and more intelligent than they think, but also make amazing pets.”
Citrus is an Argentine black-and-white tegu who was rescued from a citrus field in Florida, where he was found alone, clearly abandoned. He now has a home and is living the good life — but that didn’t stop him from going up to potential families at the event to introduce himself.
Under the watchful eye of his friends, Citrus wandered away from his booth at one point, taking a break from being an ambassador. He began exploring the event on his own, and watching a giant lizard walking around an adoption event was quite a sight to see.
While he may look scary to some people, Citrus is actually anything but. All he wanted that day was to make friends and to remind people that lizards and reptiles of all kinds are actually pretty awesome.
“Citrus is a very friendly lizard,” Brown said. “He enjoys human companionship and is very mellow and curious.”
Lots of fun was had at Dogtoberfest that day, and everyone got to learn about all the different animals available for adoption by the best teachers — including Citrus.
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